THE FILM CONTINUITY

BY SUKRITI BAJAJ

THE FILM CONTINUITY

THE FILM CONTINUITY

Having shots matching with each orther.
Lets imagine a dialogue scene between two characters, James and Harry.

Well first make a wide shot of our characters talking together and where
James would wear sunglasses. Then in a second time well do a close up shot
of his face to show how angry he is. To ensure this film continuity, James
will have to wear glasses in the same way between the two shots.
If its raining in the wide shot, the rain will have to hit the glasses exactly the

same way in the close up shot.

The problem gets trickier when a character smokes cigarettes and that every

cigarette has to be consumed the same way between plans, it can quickly
become very complicated to handle.

THE FILM CONTINUITY

sometimes mistakes happen in a movie, then the film continuity

is broken.
This being said, in the great majority of time it is better to have

someone wholl ensure care of the film continuity.

This person, equipped with his stopwatch and his reports, is

the script supervisor.

TYPES OF FILM CONTINUITY

ACTING CONTINUITY
PROPS CONTINUITY
COSTUME CONTINUITY
180 DEGREE LINE

ACTING CONTINUITY
Actors need to do the same action and say the same line in different shots and

different takes.
We get actors to play a scene a certain way in the master shot.
The actor may pick up the glass with the right hand and then wave with their

left hand. Then we shoot a Close Up where the actor picks up the glass with the
left hand and then waves with the right hand. Then we edit the two shots and
see how bad the scene cuts.
Make sure that your actors are trained or are exceptionally aware of continuity.
Make sure you hire or recruit an excellent continuity person who watches the

video split screen for these errors.

A good Continuity Person will pick up when an actor has digressed from

important actions or has forgotten key lines in their speech.

COSTUME CONTINUITY
Generally, the wardrobe department keeps tabs and photos of all costumes worn by the

actors. However, on a micro budget film, the film maker may not have a wardrobe
department.
In this case, you need to keep very good photos of the actor before you shoot the first take

in your scene.
What this means is that you can refer to this photo as you shoot the scene.
o If the actor goes to lunch and takes off his tie, it is reasonably easy for the actor to forget

to put the tie on for the afternoon shoot. This can cause very bad continuity issues.
Also, when the next scene in screen time follows the previous scene, continuity becomes

very important.
o What if you are not shooting the next scene for a week. Who is going to remember what
the actor was wearing? Often the actor will forget.
However, if you have a photo of what the actor is wearing, the correct costume can be

found and the next scene can be shot with the actor in the correct clothes rather than an
embarrassing continuity error.

PROPS CONTINUITY
It is a very important to get prop continuity correct.
When you start shooting a scene, you may start with the master wide shot. At this point

take photos of the whole film set and exactly where everything is.
Later when you are shooting the Close ups, it may be necessary to move the table and the

props.
o Then at a later point you have to shoot another shot that shows the table again in shot.
o You will have to put the table back exactly where it was with the exact same props.
This can be difficult if you have forgotton to take a photo at the start of shooting the scene.
o This can be another source of continuity errors. So take the photo of the set at the start of

shooting the scene.

Also, if there is action such as a fight, props may be moved and then have to be replaced

for the next take.

180 DEGREE LINE

This one is always a challenge for the emerging filmmaker.
Place the camera on the correct side of the line and you will never make the

worst continuity mistake of all continuity mistakes.

Always follow the 180 Degree Rule. Breaking of the rule will break the

continuity.

TYPES OF EDITING
CONTINUITY
CONTINUITY OF INFORMATION
CONTINUITY OF ACTION
CONTINUITY OF MOVEMENT
CONVENTIONAL CONTINUITY

CONTINUITY OF INFORMATION
Information mismatches occur because shots covering the same material may

be made minutes, hours, or days apart, often out of chronological order.

Many television sitcoms are composites of two or three different takes, and this

can lead to strange quirks of continuity in an edited program.

Every mistake reminds your audience that what they're seeing isn't real.
Way to avoid information mismatches: when you set up a shot, run the footage

of the shot(s) it should match, look at the details and take notes if necessary.
o If you shoot in the classical style, review the master shot of the scene
(containing all or most of the action) and then match all the other shots to it.
o You can also take a Polaroid or digital picture of each scene to compare with the
others later. If you don't shoot a master, match the new shot to the other shots
that will bracket it in the finished program.

CONTINUITY OF ACTION
Like the physical features, the activities in a scene should match

from shot to shot.

Think of it this way: information means which hand carries the

soda can; action means when the actor drinks the soda.
o Obviously, if the actor drinks in one angle of a shot, and doesn't in

another angle of the same action, you have a major discontinuity.

As a general rule, separating mismatched actions with a cutaway

will often distract the viewer's eye enough to conceal the mistake.

CONTINUITY OF LOOK
When you establish a screen direction for your subject to look

and/or move, you create an imaginary "action line" between subject

and camera.
As long as you keep the two on their respective sides of that line,

you'll maintain screen direction continuity.

But if you move the camera across the magic line, the subject will

instantly switch direction on the screen, though in the real world,

that doesn't actually happen.
Even when not moving, subjects should maintain a continuity of

look.

CONTINUITY OF MOVEMENT
Start John and Marsha moving and screen direction continuity gets

trickier. First, you must decide which direction to use for each:
If they start at different places and move in the same screen

direction, they're bound for the same destination.

If they start at different places and move in opposite screen

directions, they're operating independently of each other.

If they start at the same place and move in the same screen direction,

then they're racing or pursuing each other.

If they start at the same place and move in different screen

directions, they're explicitly moving away from each other.

CONTINUITY OF MOVEMENT
We can just let the moving person or object exit the screen entirely,

before picking it up again in a different shot with a different screen

direction.
For maximum effectiveness, enhance the cut with two tricks:
End with an empty frame and then start with another empty frame

before the subject enters moving in a new screen direction.

Allow an extra moment's pause at the end, beginning or preferably

both, before resuming the action.

CONVENTIONAL CONTINUITY
When you establish a screen direction for your subject to look and/or move, you

create an imaginary "action line" between subject and camera.

in one sequence our hero runs along the outside second story balcony of a hotel

while actors playing soldiers "shoot" at him from the lawn.

o The director cut the scene so the first shot was seen from the shooter's point of
view, the second shot from the hotel roof behind the hero and the third shot was
back to the shooters side.
o Of course, the stunt man is running the same direction through all three angles.
To give the second shot the same screen direction as the ones from the shooter's

point of view, (shot from the other side of the action line) the director had to reverse
our hero's direction on the real-world balcony.
Ninety-nine out of 100 viewers never spot this reversal because on the screen, the

continuity is unbroken.
When it comes to creating continuity, what happens in the "real" world doesn't

mean much, only what is seen on the screen counts

TRICKS AND TACTS

TRICKS AND TACTS

STEP BETWEEN SHOT SIZES
Whether youre showing a place, people, or action, your film will look more interesting if
you shoot things with different shot sizes.
But dont jump straight from, say, an extreme long shot to an extreme closeup (unless you

really want to confuse people).

o You need to put something like a long shot or mid shot between them so the viewer can
see the connection.
CHANGE POSITION AS WELL AS SHOT SIZE
When you change shot size, you should move the camera to a different position around
the subject.
If you dont, it may seem to jump forwards or backwards.
The 30 degree rule says that you should move the camera at least 30 degrees between

shots.

TRICKS AND TACTS

SHOOT IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS
Going further, you can shoot shot reverse shot:
o filming in one direction, then more or less the opposite direction.
o This lets you show a person and what theyre looking at or two people
together using closeups for more impact.
When we have two characters but only one camera. Shoot the scene several

times: once with both characters in the shot, then with mid shots and
closeups of one character, then with mid shots or closeups of the other
person.
o Then alternate between the characters when you edit.
If youre filming someone moving, shoot some of the shots from in front and

some from behind.

TRICKS AND TACTS

STAY ON ONE SIDE OF AN IMAGINARY LINE
You could film shot-reverse shot by shooting exactly head-on in one direction, and then
in exactly the other direction.
But if looks more natural if the camera is slightly to one side of the characters. The

crucial thing is that it has to stay on the same side.

Imagine theres a line between the two characters.
o Keep your camera on the same side of that line.
o If youre filming someone moving, stay on the same side of the direction theyre moving.
If you cross the line then the shots may not fit together.
o Your two characters will look as if theyre facing the same way, rather than facing each

other.
o Or the moving person will look as if theyre suddenly going the other way.

TRICKS AND TACTS

PUT MORE SPACE IN THE DIRECTION PEOPLE ARE
LOOKING
If a person is looking to one side of the screen, make sure there
is looking space or nose room.
This looks more natural, and it makes it more obvious that two

characters are facing each other.

MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE LOOKING IN THE RIGHT PLACE
If someone in one shot is looking at something or someone in
another shot, their gaze should line up with the thing theyre looking
at (which should be on the opposite side of the screen).This is
called eyeline match.

TRICKS AND TACTS

TRY NOT TO JOIN TWO SIMILAR SHOTS OF THE
SAME THING TOGETHER
Use shot-reverse shot instead, or add a cutaway (a shot of
something else) or an insert (a detail of the scene).
If you have to join shots of the same thing together, make the

difference obvious.
Cutting between two closeups of the same person gives us an

obvious jump.
o But if we change the shot size and the position, the edit looks
much more natural.

THANK YOU !